Pool-table.



W. lH. MORRIS. PooL TABLE. APPLIOATI FILD MAB. 28,1910.

Patented Jan. 10, 1911.v

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WIILIAM H. MORRIS, 0F MIDVALE, NEW JERSEY.

POOL-TABLE.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 10, 1911.

Application led March 28, 1910. Serial No. 551,895.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, l/VILLIAM H. MORRIS, a citizen of the United States, residing in Midvale, Passaic county, New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Pool-Tables; and I, do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to pool tables and the like and it consists in certain improvements therein having for their object to provide means, readily adapted to any pool table of usual construction, whereby the pocketed balls will be transmitted to a single rack or support in such manner that the balls pocketed by the different players will be separated from each other.

In carrying out my invention I have so constructed the improved means as to make it capable of use where there are two, three or four players.

My invention further consists in providing a temporary holder for the balls which may be utilized to place them in the proper set-up position on the table on starting a game.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view of a portion of a pool table constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. l, but on a larger scale, of certain of the parts shown in Fig. l Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front view of what appears in Fig. 2, a certain panel being removed; Fig. 4 is a view in front elevation, partly in section, of what is shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view of what is shown in Fig. 2 taken in a plane above the upper runways; Fig. 6 is a transverse vertical sectional and fragmentary view taken in a plane substantially central of the runways; Fig. 7 is a plan view of the improved holder whereby the balls may be properly positioned on the table; and, Fig. S illustrates a modification.

According to my invention, as each ball is pocketed it rolls into the middle portion of a cabinet having inclined runways. There are three pairs of these runways, each two runways leading from the middle portion of the cabinet, the upper two inclining outwardly and downwardly; the intermediate two likewise inclining outwardly and downwardly; and the lowest two inclining inwardly and downwardly, being adapted to discharge into a drawer which forms the holder Y above referred to. At the middle portion of the cabinet are two gates one of which affords communication therefrom to one of the intermediate runways when the other' gate closes off communication to the other intermediate runway. .When two players are playing, these gates are manipulated so that their respective balls are properly shunted to the intermediate runways assigned to them, from which they may enter the lowest runways. When four players are playing, a means is employed which serves to separate the balls of two of the players from those of the other two, the balls of which latter are separated by the gates.

Having now briefly outlined my invention, I proceed to a detailed description thereof.

a designates a pool table of ordinary construction. To this is suitably attached a chute having branches c each leading from one of the pockets d of the table, the chute and its branches having sufcient incline so that the balls entering the same will roll toward the discharge end of the chute, that is toward one end of the table.

' c is the cabinet into which the balls are discharged from the chute, those of each player being separated from those of his opponent or opponents. This cabinet is constructed as follows: f is a top wall which may afford the part of the cabinet by which it is suspended from the end of the table and. which is preferablygrooved to aiford a supplemental ball-rack, as at g. Depending from the ends of the top-wall are the end-walls it and the narrow front and back walls t' and y', the latter having an opening j into which the discharge end of the chute debouches (Figs. 1 and 2) connecting each front and back wall t and j with the end walls are the three tiers of strips k, serving principally to brace the structure, the same being spaced from each other. A rectangular frame Z is secured to the front face of the front wall z' and over this is removably arranged a panel m which forms with the frame Z and front wall t a housing for a toothed wheel n, fixed on a shaft o which is journaled in the panel and front w'all and .has its front end protruding and forming a lin mesh with said wheel by the frame, Fig.

3) which carry the gates fr moving vertically in slots s in the front wall i and grooves t in the back w'all j. The relation of the gates is such that when one is raised the other is lowered, they moving in oppositepdirections whenv the wheel is turned. The front and back walls i and and the gates form inthe cabinetamiddle compartment whose bottom is formed by the wall u grooved transversely to fit the contour of the balls and having a resilient pad o to take the impact of the balls as each falls thereon in the manner to be set forth; from the middle of the bottom wall its top inclines slightly downwardly to right and left coinciding with the top surfaces of the intermediate outwardly inclined runways fw, which extend laterally from said bottom `wall, each sufliciently short of the corresponding end-wall 7L to allow a ball to drop between its end and said end-wall (Fig. il). The front and back walls v1 and y' extend below the bottom wall u somewhat more Between their downwardly extending portions thus formed project the adjoining ends of the lowest runways ou which extend from the endewalls it, inclining inwardly, said adjoining ends of the runways being spaced slightly more than a balls diameter to form an outlet y, Fig. 3. A stop a is arranged to move in slots l in the front and back walls z' and j, having a protruding handle 2 whereby it may be raised and lowered; in

its normal (lowered) position it checks the balls by preventing the adjacent ones at each side thereof from entering the outlet y.

It will be observed that the discharge end' of the chute b is disposed slightly more than a balls diameter above the bottom wall u. When two players are playing, all of the balls fall from the chute Vonto the pad o directly; but when four are playing, those pocketed by two of the players are directed into the uppermost runways 3 as follows: In the opening '7" of back wall j is pivoted, on a horizontal axis, the false bottom 4,

which may occupy either the horizontal position shown in Fig. 2 or the vertical position shown in Fig. l, in which latter position it is receivedin said opening. The positionof this false bottom is determined by the position of `a rock-shaft 5 extending transversely of the cabinet and j ournaled in theV bearings 6; at its inner end it carries a linger 7 which serves to raise the false bottom or allow it to fall, and at its outer end said shaft carries a crank 8 which may en- -gage with a suitable catch 9 to hold the shaft in the position where it supports the false bottom in the horizontal position. The

ball-supporting surface of the false-bottom et inclines outwardly from its middle so that when said bottom occupies the horizontal position its surfaces will coincide with those of the runways 3, which incline outward and downwardly and extend clear to the end-walls of the cabinet.

Each of the runways, uppermost, intermediate and lowest, is preferably formed of two spaced half-trough shaped parts 10 suitably secured to the inner. faces of the strips 7c. e

I will proceed, now, to describe the manner in which the attachment is used with respect to what has so far been described.

When two players are playing, the false bottom stands in the vertical position. Suppose that the left-hand lowermost and intermediate runways are appropriated by player No. l and the right-hand corresponding runways by player No. 2. The gates 1 are shown in the proper position in Fig. 3 for this arrangement. As player No. 1 pockets balls they successively pass down the chute, falling therefrom onto the pad o, and the gates allowing their exit from the middle compartment to the left, they pass onto the left-hand intermediate runway and roll down the same until, at the end thereof, they fall onto the lowermost left-hand runway. down which they roll until checked by stop a; if player No. l accumulates more balls than will occupy the lowermost runway, the surplus of course remain in the interlnediate runway. When player No. l completes his play, player No. 2 shifts the gates by turning the toothed wheel a, so that all the balls he pockets enter the right-hand intermediate and lowermost runways. Vhen four players are playing, the runways may be appropriated by the players as follows, for instance: The lowermost left-hand and ri ght-hand runways afford the ultimate resting places for balls poclreted by players Nos. 1 -and 4, respectively, and the uppermost right-hand and left-hand runways the resting places for balls pocketed by players Nos. 2 and 3, respectively. The false bottom is down when player No. l is playing, and all balls he pockets finally enter the lowermost left-hand runway, passing through the corresponding intermediate runway to do so. Player No. 2 then raises the false-bottom to its horizontal position and, as the gates are already properly arranged, the balls he pockets will be deposited in the uppermost right-hand runway, rolling onto said falsebottom from the chute and then out of the middle compartment to the right. Player No. 3 now shifts the gates, leaving the falso bottom as it is; the balls he pockets are deposited in the left-hand uppermost runway. Then player No. 4 lowers the lfalse bottom and the balls he pockets are deposited in the right-hand lowermost runway. W ben osmose player No. 1 again plays, he leaves the false bottom as it is and shifts the gates.

In view of the foregoing it will be seen that by my arrangement the balls pocketed by each player are deposited separately from those pocketed by his opponent or opponents, so that it can be seen at a glance how .many balls each player has pocketed.

When all the balls are pocketed, the stop a is raised to allow the balls to drop through the outlet y; if four players are playing those balls which are deposited in the uppermost runways may be pushed inwardly so that, the false bottom having been lowered, they will successively fall on the pad a, and, having rol-led through the intermediate and lowermost runways, follow the other balls through the outlet y. lWhen the balls fall through the outlet, they are caught by a drawer 11 mounted in slides 12 in the under side of the cabinet. This drawer has a false bottom 13 which may be slid out at the front; it also has the converging strips 14 suitably xed in its front and back walls 15 and an adjustable strip 1G which forms a triangle with the strips 14 and may be moved toward and from the apex of the triangle as follows: said strip has its ends 17 reduced and passing through slots 18 in the strips 14. At the apeX of the triangle the bottom 13 has a sight opening 19 whereby the spot on the table may be located with reference to the balls 2O enclosed in the triangle. Vhen the balls fall into the drawer they occupy the triangular space formed by the strips 14 and 16. The drawer is then removed and lplaced on the table, the proper position of the balls with respect to the spot on the table being determined by means of the sight opening 19. Strip 16 is then moved toward the apex of the triangle to freeze to the balls, and while still in that position the false bottom 13 is removed so that the balls are allowed to rest on the table. The drawer is then removed from the table, leaving the balls frozen.7

In lieu of the false bottom 4, the discharge end of the chute may be pivotedlsoas to assume different elevations. For instance, in Fig. 8, 21 is the pivoted discharge end of the chute, marked 22. 23 may be a part of the table or any other support on #which rests a bracket 24 in which is journaled a rock-shaft 25 having an operating crank 2G (which may project into convenient reach at one side of the table) and an arm 27 which, when the shaft is rocked, wipes against the under side of the pivoted part 21. Then the arm 27 is in the position show in full lines in Fig. 8 it abuts against a stop 28 on the bottom of the part 21 and holds the latter elevated; when said arm is in the dotted position, it allows the part 21 to assume the depressed position shown by and adapted to slide in substantially vertical planes and controlling the one the egress broken lines, resting on the bottom of the opening j', In `one position the part 21 is alined with the uppermost runways; in the other position it is alined with the intermediate runways. i

` Having thus fully described my invention,l what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The combination, "with a pool table, of a cabinet having two receptacles for "balls spaced from each other, a compartment situated between said receptacles and having -a bottom, means for conducting the pocketed balls to said compartment, gates arranged of the balls from said compartment to one receptacle and the other the egress of the balls from said compartment to the other receptacle, and means for moving said gates together, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a pool table, of a cabinet having two receptacles for balls spaced from each other, a compartment situated between said receptacles and having a bottom, means for conducting the pocketed balls to said compartment, gates'arranged and adapted to slide in substantially vertical planes and controlling the one the egress of the balls from said compartment to one receptacle and the other the egress of the balls from said compartment to the other receptacle, and means for moving said gates t0- gether in opposite directions, the one into the obstructing and the other into the nonobstructing position, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a pool table, of a cabinet having a middle compartment, said compartment having a bottom, means for conducting the pocketed balls to said compartment, runways leading in opposite directions from said compartment and inclined outwardly, and gates arranged and adapted to slide in substantially vertical planes and controlling the communication between the compartment and the respective runways, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with a pool table, of a cabinet having a middle compartment, said compartment having a bottom, means for conducting the pocketed balls to said compartment, runways leading in opposite directions from said compartment and inclined outwardly, gates arranged and adapted to slide in substantially vertical planes and controlling the communication between the compartment and the respective runways, and means for moving said gates together in opposite directions, the one into the obstructing and the other into the non-obstructing position, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with a pool table, of a cabinet having a middle compartment, upper and lower receptacles arranged at each side of said compartment and communicating therewith, gates controllingV the one the egress of the balls from said compartment to one of the lower receptacles and the other vthe egress of the balls from said compartment to the other lower receptacle, and means l 6.y The combination, with a pool table, of

a cabinet having a middle compartment, means for conducting the pocketed balls to said compartment, downwardly inclined runways leading from said compartment, means for controlling the egress of the balls from Vsaid compartment to each runway, other runways discharging at a common point, the first-named runways respectively discharging into the second-named runways, and means for controlling the discharge of the balls from the second runways, substantially as described.

In testimony, that I claim the foreofoing, I have hereunto set my hand this 26th day of March, 1910.

W. H. MORRIS.

Witnesses:

JOHN W. STEWARD, WM. D. BELL. 

